Super Dave Osborne is supposedly an “accomplished” stuntman, though he rarely succeeds when performing the stunts depicted onscreen. His signature move is to perform outrageous daredevil stunts which invariably go awry and result in grievous bodily injury.

These include altered vehicles like the car boat and camera cars shown below as well as such mishaps as riding inside the hub of a giant yo-yo suspended from a crane (the yo-yo broke free of its string and rolled off a cliff into a ravine) and being flung inside a giant football (the catapult malfunctioned and “spiked” the football instead of throwing it). After such a mishap, Super Dave would usually appear torn apart, stretched, or otherwise injured.

Super Dave Boat Car

Super Dave Camera car

One of his signature logos is a drawing of his head on top of a pair of shoes with no body. This was occasionally how he appeared after a stunt.

Super Dave is often accompanied on his various exploits by loyal friend, sidekick and assistant stunt coordinator Fuji Hakayito, played by comedian Art Irizawa. It is usually left to Fuji to set whatever stunt Dave is performing in motion. He is the inspiration and head of the fictional “Super Dave Compound”—a combination resort, theme park, learning center, and anything else needed for the plot-line of a particular episode. Many of his misadventures were based on demonstrating various aspects of the compound.

Trademark components of the Super Dave character include his frequent thumbs-ups, and his many uniforms – most of which include red, white and blue, yellow stars, and stripes, somewhat reminiscent of those worn by Evel Knievel. He was also known for only using SaskatchewanSealskin Bindings in the manufacture of his safety harnesses or seatbelts (not that they ever did him any good). Seals are neither indigenous to nor range in Saskatchewan, and are therefore part of the comedic juxtaposition predicated on the eventual failure of the stunt by being both “genuine sealskin” and from Saskatchewan.

Super Dave also appeared in Nike commercials in the 90’s, comparing his latest dunking contraptions to the Nike Air Flight basketball shoe. One commercial had him appearing with Reggie Miller, and another with Gerald Wilkins (mistaking their names as Roger and Harold, respectively).

The new word for the day is pain! I pity the fool who don’t celebrate my birthday!

Yes my favorite 80’s celebrity’s, Mr. T and I share a birthday—today, May 21st. So what better time for a post about the enigmatic film and TV star. I first remember seeing Mr. T as Clubber Lang in Rocky III and Sergeant Bosco B.A. Baracus in the hit tv series The A Team. His signature mohawk hairstyle, the mountains of gold chains he wore and his tough take no crap from anyone attitude no doubt, endeared him to many kids of my generation. A tough guy that was afraid to fly in airplanes and could shoot thousands of bullets without ever hitting anyone.

T grew up as Laurence Tureaud in the Robert Taylor Holmes housing projects of Chicago. After high school Mr T bounced around to several colleges, did a short stint in the Army and tried out for the Green Bay packers. It was then that he began working as a bouncer at local clubs and created his persona “Mr. T” and his trademark look of wearing a huge collection of gold chains, necklaces and bracelets that were originally the result of bar customers leaving or losing these items after an altercation ensued.

As a bodyguard, Tureaud’s business card read, “Next to God, there is no greater protector than I.” Mr. T claimed that he never lost a client, saying, “I got hurt worse growing up in the ghetto than working as a bodyguard.” A bald-headed Mr. T can be seen on film accompanying Smokin’ Joe Frazier to the ring in Frazier’s rematch against George Foreman in 1976.

In 2005, Mr. T stated that he would never wear his chains again. He arrived at this decision after seeing the effects of Hurricane Katrina. However, he does occasionally wear some chains for commercial and public appearances.

In 2008 the company I work for, Real Art Design Group, produced a self promo piece called “A New Year A New You”. The idea being that we would create a customized puppet for all of our clients, friends and family, that would reflect what their New Year’s resolutions for that year might be. It was a huge undertaking that turned out to be extremely well received.

We created over 240 customized hand-made puppets for our employees and those who signed up for the gift. Puppets were shipped in a self-contained display case that propped the puppets up and really brought the project together.

Now it may seem that this is unrelated to this posting about Mr. T but with all those puppets and extra puppet pieces I saw a chance to make something super fun and special. After a little creative thinking, a quick trip to the local thrift store and raiding the puppet parts box I had everything I needed to make a truly unique puppet of Mr. T.

Image Via: Circa71

The Mr. T puppet was a huge hit from the time he hit the door to the present day. In addition to being included as a bonus in the Real Art puppet cards that went out to announce “A New Year A New You”, Mr. T also had a small cameo appearance at the 2008 GDAA Hermes awards ceremony where he was piped in via satellite to offer words of inspiration and motivation. He is currently proudly sitting in my office keeping an ever vigilant eye for trouble and has become a somewhat unofficial ambassador for Real Art.

A long-awaited big-screen version of the cult 1980s television series, The A-Team will be directed by Ridley Scott and is scheduled to hit cinemas in 2010

The production will be a “fast-paced action movie” that avoids the campy tone of the original and replaces Vietnam with the Middle East as the place the do-gooder soldiers of fortune served before escaping to the “Los Angeles underground”, Hollywood newspaper Variety has reported.

Sir Ridley is lined up to produce the 20th Century Fox project alongside his brother, Tony Scott, while Joe Carnahan, who wrote and directed 2006’s Smokin’ Aces, will direct. The film is due out in June 2010.

Co-creator of the original series Stephen J Cannell is also on board as a producer.

The show, which ran for five series from 1983 to 1986 on American television network NBC, featured George Peppard, Mr T, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz as the mismatched band of mercenaries on the run from the government “for a crime they didn’t commit”.

It spawned a host of catchphrases including Peppard’s character Hannibal’s oft repeated line “I love it when a plan comes together”.

A film version has spent years in development with a number of different names previously attached to the project. Sir Ridley told Variety the newly assembled team aimed for “a fast-paced, exciting franchise – one we hope will be around for years to come.”

Carnahan said he hoped to make “a classic summer popcorn film” that “reflects the real world” and said it would stick to the original’s premise, in which the army veterans escape from a military prison after being wrongly convicted of armed robbery.

”This was a coveted property, and re-imagining a show that I remembered as a kid was tough to turn down,” Carnahan said. “Fox hired me to make it as emotional, real and accessible as possible without cheesing it up.”

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the world’s most famous ball of ground flesh and byproducts.

With the release of the sixth season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force on DVD Tuesday, Meatwad (pictured) had to leave his grill behind while he toured the world’s media capitals publicizing the new two-disc set.

The shape-shifting superstar plopped down with Wired.com for 20 questions on the Adult Swim animated hit, the quest for the perfect hot dog and what makes this would-be patty sizzle.

Wired.com: Do you remember the animal(s) from which you were originally ground?

Meatwad: I’ve got a tough side, and a sweet side, like Mr. T. So they probably ground up some mighty beasts, like two lions and a cobra. Then something cute. A panda perhaps.

Wired.com: Did you ever dream you’d be a star when you were first patted?

Meatwad: One time I dreamt that I was riding a pony with Lionel Ritchie and Carrot Top on the back. Carrot Top turned into a big pizza and then we went to a playground. That was a good dream.

Wired.com: If you weren’t meat, what food group would you like to be?

Meatwad: Dippin’ Dots. You get to go into outer space and be the dessert for astronauts like Lance Bass.

Wired.com: What’s your position on condiments?

Meatwad: Ketchup can turn pretty much anything into a good meal. Empty your pockets and put it on whatever you got in there. Your taste buds will thank you.

Wired.com: What was the audition process like for Adult Swim?

Meatwad: I was frisked several times before I entered the building, but then I realized that I wasn’t in the building at all, but behind it in a kudzu patch. That man was lonely.

Wired.com: Your image graces Halloween costumes, throw pillows, stuffed animals and action figures. Have you had any other merchandising ideas?

Meatwad: They crazy! They made a Meatwad artificial hand that didn’t sell very well, but it wasn’t so … lifelike. No fingers or anything. But it was a dead ringer for me, I’ll give ‘em that. Still though, I think it was a good conversational piece for the price point.

Wired.com: Who are your acting role models?

Meatwad: Teen Wolf. I wish I could do that. When you transform, you go from zero to hero!

Wired.com: What’s your relationship status right now? Are you really the player you portray on TV?

Meatwad: I don’t want to be one of those guys that leaves a trail of broken hearts wherever he goes. So I mostly just eat. I have a good relationship with foods of all races.

Wired.com: You’ve climbed the acting mountain. Any ambitions to write or direct?

Meatwad: I have been working on a one-act version of The Crucible where the witches start farting all over the place and they dress like pilgrims. It’s a Thanksgiving comedy with farting as the centerpiece.

Wired.com: What was your reaction to the recent presidential election?

Meatwad: I think the guy that won it is OK. But that kindergarten teacher that was trying to be the president was really funny! She winked at me on the TV. And she eats mooses like some kind of crazy Sasquatch. We need a funny president that eats weird things.

Wired.com: What are your hobbies?

Meatwad: I’m constantly looking for the perfect hot dog. And not the ones with the cheese already in the middle soiling the dog flavor. If I want cheese, I can put cheese on it myself, OK? I’m kind of a perfectionist like that. And color is important. The pinker, the better.

Wired.com: Who do you hang out with after work wraps for the day?

Meatwad: Well, usually I wash all the plates from the craft services table, sweep up some, take out the trash. Usually everybody gone by that time. I didn’t read my contract very thoroughly when I got this job.

Wired.com: Are you a religious wad?

Meatwad: I tried church once, but it was so boring. So, I brought my Walkman the next time. At that point I realized that it kind of defeated the purpose of being there. So I just listen to my Walkman at home on Sundays and call it even.

Wired.com: The Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie faced a rough road at the box office. What would Meatwad have done differently?

Meatwad: Well, I guess if I had it to do over, Meatwad wouldn’t have spent his advance so far in advance. That money went fast, boy. You can only have so many different colored sweatbands and stuffed koala bears before you gotta eat something. And I’m still poopin’ out bear stuffing. Was that too candid? I’m sorry, ya’ll.

Wired.com: Do you often refer to yourself in the third person?

Meatwad: Only when you have to be serious about something. Like, “Someone drank all of Meatwad’s chocolate milk. Meatwad is pissed off about it.” Because it sounds like you’re talking about someone else, it makes it weird and confusing for people and psychs them out.

Wired.com: With the exception of a couple pieces of hair and grit, you’re often unclothed on camera. Are you comfortable doing nude scenes?

Meatwad: No, and I’m glad you brought that up. In a body-crazy society like ours, it’s hard getting out there in front of those harsh, unflattering lights and wearing next to nothing, day in and day out. People stare at you on set, sizing you up. Like they better than you. Like they could get nude and talk on camera better than you, and that they are better at the English language better than you. It’s not a competition, ya’ll. If you want to get nude on TV, go ahead. Just don’t stand in the way of me doing it.

Wired.com: Any plans to settle down? Have a meat family?

Meatwad: I’m too wild for that. Like last night, I ate a whole Wonder Bread with chocolate syrup on it in the bed. What kind of father does that without an earful from the missus?

Wired.com: We now have our first African-American president. Could we one day have a food-based leader?

Meatwad: As long as he or she can bring Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp back to prime-time television, I don’t care who it is. That person’s got my vote, easy.

Wired.com: What’s your position on the pending strike by the Screen Actors Guild?

Meatwad: I hate reruns, so I hope it gets resolved in a responsible fashion. I also hope self-tanning gel is not covered in their benefits. Ya’ll, it makes you look weird.

Wired.com: Where do you see your career going in the future?

Meatwad: I’m not sure about that one. It’s hard to remember my lines in the show, and they’ll use a stand-in, or put peanut butter on my gums, and let me work it out of my mouth. Then they drop the audio in later with a computer. Sometimes I think being a cowboy or a magician would be a lot more fun. Peanut butter’s good though, boy.

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Real Art Design Group

Real Art Design Group is a full-service design firm with one goal: do great work with great people. Since 1985, we've made good on that philosophy, and we continue to create "Real Art" for our clients today. Click the icon to visit Real Art Design Group's web site.